Steve Koh

To many, Steve Koh may come across as understated and reserved. His persona is perhaps best illustrated through his artistry in photography.

Steve's passion for pursuing photography excellence traces back to when he was 15 years old. With a determination to learn the proper way of taking photographs (without cutting off the top or bottom part of a subject matter), Steve joined the Photography Society in his secondary school. Not only did Steve learn the know-how of taking pictures, he eventually became the President of the Society. What started off as an extra-curricular activity soon developed into his lifetime pursuit.

Steve was taught and trained in Tokyo, Japan for a total of eight years. His fundamental professional studies on photography were on lighting. Steve's captivating images are often a composition of depth, the unpretentious positioning of the subject matter and/or a shutter-chance facial expression of the model, with the interplay of illumination and shadows. Every picture series comes with its own unique theme or storyline.

Steve graduated from the Japan Photography Academy as best student of the grade with strings of accolades. Once established in Malaysia, his home country, Steve subsequently set up his own studios. Through these studios, many junior photographers evolved and established themselves under his guidance. Steve believes in sharing photography experiences and imparting expertise to his assistants. He sees himself once again as an enthusiastic amateur through the juniors.

Steve attributes his success to his unique gift of being able to see things in a different light. The expansion of his career has taken Steve across continents to seek inspiration and unparalleled backdrops. He has captured larger than life movie personalities such as Gong Li, Michelle Yeoh, Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty and Kangana Ranaut. A major highlight in his long list of awards is the Malaysian International Fashion Awards (MIFA) prize for Best Fashion Photographer in 2004. Steve has also excelled in directing television commercials for big brand names such as Tiger, Lewre, Wacoal and renowned jewelry brand Poh Kong.

Steve's achievements do not stop at being the owner of Image Rom Malaysia. He currently has offices in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Bangalore, India. Slowly and steadily, he has set his eyes on expanding Image Rom across South East Asia.